FA Cup or Top 4 this season?

[mikeyt]

If we hadn't won a trophy already I'd say FA Cup, but top 4 for me, we need to be in the CL.

I get stopping City winning a potential treble but we can't close the gap on them without CL football. Got to play the long game here.

 

[Judge Red]

Missing out on top four from the position we were in (and still are) would be so much more deflating than losing a final to a bunch of cheats that no one can stop at the moment.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

FAO Mods: Poll Please!

What’s your preference this season, if you had to choose? Beating City in Wembley ? Or securing CL football next season?

Who you gotta blow to get some help from the mods?

(@rimaldo the answer to that question is always @rimaldo)

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Missing out on top four from the position we were in (and still are) would be so much more deflating than losing a final to a bunch of cheats that no one can stop at the moment.

This is true. But if you think about the sequence of events, denying City a treble might make up for a CL qualification collapse?

 

[RedRonaldo]

the club not being in the top 4 is a further step back
The goal was top 4, cups are a bonus. The FA would be a consolation prize and nothing more, CL progress the club

I thought 2 trophies in a season is a bigger progress than just top 4 finish.

 

[RedDevilQuebecois]

If I'm forced to make a choice, top 4 is imperative. Players don't sign to a club because it won the FA Cup; players sign to a club because it offers top European football.

 

[Scandi Red]

Impossible choice given the circumstances. Normally I'd take CL football over the FA Cup. Especially seeing as we already won the league cup.

 

[rimaldo]

Who you gotta blow to get some help from the mods?

(@rimaldo the answer to that question is always @rimaldo)

i don’t want you to blow me because you feel you have to blow me, i want you to blow me because you feel like you want to blow me.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

i don’t want you to blow me because you feel you have to blow me, i want you to blow me because you feel like you want to blow me.

And who says romance is dead?!

 

[Jericholyte2]

Top 4 without even blinking.

Being able to offer CL football is so vital to the progression under ETH to get the targets he wants.

 

[LARulz]

A trophy is what we are in this game for but for the club it's just as important if not more to get back in the CL

 

[Judas]

The idea we can’t still sign top talent without CL has been disproven near enough every year. Unless we start paying peanuts of course, money speaks just as loud.

 

[theralyst]

It's relatively easier to bounce back into the top four than win trophies. And if the last 10 years has shown me anything it's that we can still attract good players whether we're in the CL or not. I'd take the FA Cup, especially now that it's against City.

 

[Real_Knut]

Being reasonable, I'd say top four. It would allow us to progress, recruitment would be easier, it's financially important, the result of a season is extremely valuable for team spirit... yet, if I could find a way to be there for the final, I would probably have had to choose the FA Cup

 

[Yorkeontop]

Poll please. I'm leaning towards the Cup. We're not a credible CL side and top 4 will naturally take care of itself when we are. Beating City in the last competitive game of the season will be frankly magical.

 

[rimaldo]

And who says romance is dead?!

sorry, wrong tab. i was trying to rehome a dog at the same time and got confused.

 

[flappyjay]

FAO Mods: Poll Please!

What’s your preference this season, if you had to choose? Beating City in Wembley ? Or securing CL football next season?

Looks like ucl is important to our finances this year if we are to make progress on the squad building we have to get top 4. Obviously City getting the treble would be disgusting but our progress is far more important than stopping them. We should be stopping them by being excellent our selves.

 

[flappyjay]

Top 4. Build sustainably for trophies in the near future & losing out on top 4 allows Pool funds to rebuild.

Its already bad enough with Newcastle but also Liverpool with more funds could see a genuine gap between us and this seasons top 4.

 

[SirScholes]

I thought 2 trophies in a season is a bigger progress than just top 4 finish.

What was the target for the season?
what was priority 1?

 

[MancunianAngels]

Ultimately, if it wasn't city, I'd say top 4.

Because it is them and because it could stop them winning tbe Treble, the match has become a lot more important.

I'm not convinced being in/out of the Champions League will have that much of an impact in the short term. Arsenal, for all their faults, have proven that it doesn't have to derail any progress.

 

[stepic]

top 4. much rather look forward to some CL games next year rather than a one off cup. not being top 4 may also impact potential signings in the summer.

 

[flappyjay]

How can we build if a manager gets sacked every 2-3 seasons. Winning trophies has not saved our last couple managers, but if they had more consistent league finishes I don't think we would be up to the 5th manager in a decade post Fergie.

LVG won the very same cup and got the sack. At the end of the day the money from the the ucl is important. 50m+ can't just be ignored. With how much we spent in the summer it would be a travesty to finish outside the top 4.

 

[Vault Dweller]

It's a horrible decision to make

I'd also need to know who gets that Top4 place if it's not us because if it's the Scousers then that's horrific

Probably I'm still edging towards Top4 because I guaranteed @Annihilate Now! and @Vault Dweller that Top 4 was in the bag !

honestly mate I hate that how nervous I was a few weeks ago has been verified and I am absolutely bricking it now! Cannot drop any points now in my opinion, Liverpool's run in with their momentum makes it bloody difficult.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

Normally, i'd say the FA Cup and preventing City's treble. But, for the love of God, i can't stand any more Thursday night football.

 

[SirScholes]

Normally, i'd say the FA Cup and preventing City's treble. But, for the love of God, i can't stand any more Thursday night football.

Correct
We would celebrate the win, then spend a season watching Thursdays again.

 

[Revan]

If you were Barcelona I would say top 4 because we really need the money, but for Premier League sides money is not a problem so I think the trophy. Unless you reach at least semi finals in 10 years time nobody will even remember if you played the Champions League or not.

Oh, money is definitely a problem cause we wasted half a billion pounds in the last few years. We have no cash reserves at this stage, and if we miss UCL again, then the adidas clause gets activated which means less money from them in addition to no UCL money.

Barca still has a higher revenue than United, so EPL or not, you guys are still richer.

 

[The Firestarter]

Top 4 . For FFP reasons that cash influx Will prove important / makes things easier.

 

[Pintu]

When was the last time we missed the CL 2 consecutive years?

I am going for top 4…. The FA Cup is a much more prestigious trophy than the Micky mouse thing we won, but still it won‘t compensate for missing the CL yet again.

 

[Himannv]

Top 4 for me. That is unless of course we absolutely batter City by a cricket score or something to win the FA Cup - that would be worth dropping out of top 4 I think.

 

[RaddyRed]

Would happily hand City the FA Cup if it meant they didn't win the CL and we finished top 4.

 

[RedRonaldo]

What was the target for the season?
what was priority 1?

Won trophies and top 4 finish.

They’re really no single priority there. If we didn’t win anything, getting top 4 is a must. But if we are going to win double, then I can take it if we barely failed to make it to top 4.

 

[Theonas]

Isn’t it a tad overrated though? Arsenal build a fine squad through spreading its money over a large number of young players. That approach can work too and they didn’t have a top 4 to show for it along the way, even once.

I think you can build a great team with a budget, Arsenal and Napoli did it. But I am talking more about the long term image impact. Kids growing up in the '10s now just don't see Manchester United as this huge club same way they see Real, Barcelona, Bayern and City. We're just included in the party and the longer it goes, the more it will have an effect on our finances. We could still do what Arsenal can do but we don't compete in the same stratosphere as them do we? They are expected to be a big London club, we are seen/see ourselves as the biggest in the land and one of the biggest in the world. We can't do that without being included in football's biggest event consistently.

 

[Who's Kissing Cameras?]

This is just another version of the City vs Liverpool question that’s haunted us for 5 years now.

 

[Zed 101]

Top 4.... in fairness out of the 2 I think it is the only realistic answer, think we will get spanked in the cup final

 

[Dannn411]

Top 4. Really that simple.

 

[MonkeysMagic]

FA cup...because irs a trophy and deniesthe noisy neighbours.

I feel the top 4 is a vanity exercise for the Glazers to get more money out of sponsors and realistically the current team (as Glazers won't invest in the players needed) would be out at group stage next season!

 

[el3mel]

Playing in EL again next season will be an absolute disaster. How can anyone choose Fa Cup, seriously ?

 

[royboy16]

FA Cup and deny city the Treble.

 

[El Zoido]

Got to be top 4, please no more EL. I’d rather no Europe at all than EL.

 

[Bastian]

@golden_blunder

Can we not poll this? Seems to be the question asked - also on Talk of the Devils. Whitwell said he'd take the cup, but he was on a panel at MUTV with Wes Brown and they spoke about it, Brown said CL football.